So far SPS has spent $36,238.53 defending the case against Hampson, according to public records. Student board members will not be voting members but will serve as advisors to the Seattle School Board. MFR investigators said DeWolf repeatedly and persistently mistreated the two complainants, violating the HIB policy. Our safety, legitimacy as leaders, unique and necessary lived perspectives, and material contributions have been routinely marginalized and discredited in accordance with our proximity and alignment with white-centric institutional norms, and these Board Directors views, they wrote in the memo. But given the events of a recent school board meeting, this shouldnt come as a shock. In an emailed statement, the district said its not able to comment on personnel matters but that Seattle Public Schools is committed to nondiscrimination in all our educational, employment and staff endeavors., We firmly believe this commitment to anti-racism increases student success, the statement continued. The tension came to a head during an Aug. 28, 2020, phone call between Hampson, DeWolf, the complainants, and SPS staff. Elise Takahama. A primary was scheduled for August 3, 2021. All rights reserved. Try searching for this story on the websites for KIRO 7, KING 5, KOMO News, or FOX 13. King County Superior Court Judge Maf Rajul dismissed the case in April and, shortly after, Hampsons attorney filed an appeal in the states Court of Appeals. 2445 3rd Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98134 The company, which has offices in the Pacific Northwest and New England, created various maps based on legal requirements, community and board member input. The student school board positions are new positions, created by School Board Policy No. The anti-racism policy has not been adopted by the school board. Email the Records and Archives Center archives@seattleschools.org for finding aids for paper records: school board and superintendent's working files, correspondence and meeting materials. WA to end masking requirement in health care, correctional facilities, Fire on Lake City Way in Seattle raises smoke, flooding concerns, One Seattle business is taking a stand against tipping mania, Chef Ethan Stowell buys a historic Seattle dive bar, Amazon shutters some convenience stores, including 2 in Seattle. Contact us with questions about applying to be a School Board Student Member. DeWolf engaged more harshly, disrespectfully, and/or rudely with women, regardless of race. But others note hes rude to everyone regardless of gender. A hearing is scheduled for April 16th. Founded in 1856, St. Paul's School is a fully residential independent high school located in Concord, N.H. Theres also a federal law, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, with similar requirements that prohibit discriminatory practices when redistricting. A left-wing media outlet used a union-backed poll to push a union-backed piece of legislation to push you into offering support. But they did not find evidence that DeWolf discriminated against, harassed, intimidated, or bullied either Scarlett or Al-ansi based solely on race., They also said he used his position and authority to the detriment of the complainants. Next year, Seattle voters may be voting for candidates in different Seattle School Board districts, the result of a monthslong redrawing of board member districts this fall. Each School Board student member will be assigned to one of three board committees: the Audit & Finance Committee; Operations Committee; or Student Services Curriculum & Instruction Committee. Posting documents for regular Board meetings at least 3 days in advance of the meeting to allow for public review. The board voted on March 24 to move Pre-K through fifth-grade students into in-person instruction starting in April 2021. Yes, they get reimbursed a little for expenses such as gas and supplies but certainly not for their time. Melissa Westbrooks local blog which I just discovered actually covered this story back in October. District staff thought they knew better and felt sidelined. In July 2019, former School Board member Betty Patu's resignation triggered an appointment process that led to the selection . The employees names were redacted. He was elected twice to the Seattle School Board serving from 2007 to 2015. Students will also have opportunities to participate in outside training, such as through the Washington State School Directors Association. Another Washington community is having to deal with the possibility of rogue sex offenders. With just a week before the Seattle School Board is scheduled to vote on a plan for instruction this school year, which begins Sept. 2, some members including Chandra Hampson say the district's . Currently the owner of Delos Reyes Law . and are the keepers of school policy. But the Seattle Times has an entire education section of their paper. The investigative report was submitted last August and concluded that Director Hampson used her position and authority to the detriment of [staff] in violation of [the harassment, intimidation and bullying policy], according to court documents. Some school board directors even declined to be interviewed for fear their comments would become public record. Any immediate political consequences are unknown. One witness called it worst meeting she had ever experienced., Another witness said that DeWolf began raising his voice and accused [the complainants] of being dishonest about their collaboration on the policy. She said that it seemed he felt the need to put them in their place., When one of the complainants wondered if a miscommunication could have led to the belief that they were working independent of the school board members, the witness said, DeWolf was relentless in his negative admonishing and chastising tone, which set the stage for a terrible conversation., DeWolf told MFR investigators, according to the report, that he was not scolding [the complainant], because he does not like conflict, and he was trying to be super-intentional and gentle with his language.. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2e666278b6291a I certainly understand that SPS did not make it easy to track this story. The School is accredited by the New England . The action you just performed triggered the security solution. School Board student members are charged with engaging students and student groups for feedback and with carrying forward the diverse perspectives of Seattle Public Schools students. Hampson did acknowledge the group phone call was terrible, the report said, but denied violating harassment, intimidation and bullying board policies. The controversy began about two years ago, when SPS hired a law firm focused on employment law and human-resource services in the Pacific Northwest to investigate claims that Hampson and DeWolf violated a board policy during meetings that took place in August and September 2020. The motion also waived the need to post the report on the districts website, which typically needs to happen at least three days before public meetings. A list of School Board Members and Superintendents. Pawares Pathompornvivat, a 32-year-old teacher from Franklin High School, has been charged with multiple counts of sexual misconduct. School Board student members will also attend the regular meetings of the School Board of Directors on a roughly once-per-month rotation and will have an opportunity to report on the work of their committee, offer opinions on the motions and resolutions before the board, and communicate other topics of student interest or concern. Currently, Liza Rankin holds the district 1 spot, Lisa Rivera Smith represents district 2, Chandra Hampson represents district 3, and Leslie Harris represents district 6. Emails and meeting notes appear to back this claim. But the district is doing what it can to keep the report from public view. GSBA, Comcast, and other partners are working to address disparities in access to financial resources with the Ready for Business fund. She is the second School Board director in recent memory to resign. The filing deadline for this election was May 21, 2021 . The experiences of the past year have taught parents a hard lesson just how little power they have in the current system of public education. One year appointment. Seattle Times staff reporter. Click to reveal And I heard them speak of treatment that they did not just want us as their leaders to be aware of but to also act upon.. Northwest for Underrepresented Regions (NUR) seeks to improve access to educational opportunities in . The district has improperly employed [the harassment, intimidation and bullying policy] to rebalance the power between elected directors and staff., Board members are elected to advise and approve policies, Talmadge said. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. 206-252-0000, Distributing Information to Students and Schools, Northwest Coast Art by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, Squaxin/Skokomish. When not harassing Black, female staff, they fought to keep dangerous homeless encampments on school property, including one that housed a sex offender. Director Harris has every right to vote yes or no on any measure that presents itself to the board. Geary did not file to run for re-election in 2019. Seattle University School of Law. The school board members did not publicly respond to the recall effort. One of the accusers tried to tell Hampson and DeWolf twice they were disrespecting her, the report said. DeWolf has represented District 5, which includes Capitol Hill, downtown and the Central District. Student members are encouraged to utilize course credit, service hour, independent study, free periods, or other opportunities, as available and appropriate for their own academic schedule, to modify their class schedule to accommodate committee meeting attendance. Capitol Hill's school board seat will have a vacancy this year, and the incumbent has some thoughts for anyone interested in running. 1250, School Board Student Members. Seattle school board directors Zachary DeWolf (L) and Chandra Hampson (R). All current board members still reside in the districts they represent under the new map. It was only days after Sami Al-Abdrabbuh was re-elected to . A school board candidate must: Be a registered voter. The district elections map only affects who can run for school board (candidates must live in the district they run for) and which board members people vote for. While I started to look into it then, I purposefully withheld my reporting until now. Ironically, the complaints came out of work on a draft policy concerning anti-racism. District 1 - Liza Rankin. I think the investigation was correct in noting there was no evidence to suggest Hampson or DeWolf targeted Scarlett or Al-ansi for their racial or gender identities. School Board student members will be provided agendas and other materials in preparation for meetings and are also encouraged to attend board work sessions and other special meetings of the board. Social Media - Qiong Schlegel. A district that I know ardently strives to be a safe, welcoming and anti-racist institution. There was another meeting between the board directors and the complainants on Sept. 16, 2020. The remaining seats will open up in 2025. Its been made available only through a public disclosure request. If youre retired or getting ready to retire and looking for new ways to stay active, becoming a SHIBA volunteer could be for you! The Seattle School Board believes students possess valuable insight and should have a paramount voice in the education received from the district and in the decisions made by the board. School Board (1882 present) minutes, indexes, correspondence, email, public hearings and administrative documents. For example, in one email, DeWolf called out Scarletts dishonesty in claiming she was working with him on the anti-racism policy. Two Black women staffers who still currently work at SPS were working with Hampson and DeWolf on developing an anti-racism policy, but as disagreements started, contentious conversations followed. Lake Washington Windows and Doors is a local window dealer offering the exclusive Leak Armor installation. Each district needs to meet certain criteria set by state law: having nearly the same population size, being as compact as possible and not favoring or disfavoring a political party or racial group. Earlier this month, in response to the school board's proposal, Washington Senator Jamie Pedersen introduced Senate bill 6282, which would require school districts to create individualized . And District 6 in West Seattle now stretches to the other side of the Duwamish Waterway and includes Georgetown and South Park. Yet here they wont? While serving, School Board student members must be enrolled in courses that ensure normal progress towards graduation and maintain the number of credits necessary for advancement to the next grade level. Seattle school officials declined to comment on the case, although spokesperson Beverley Redmond said the replacement of the harassment, intimidation and bullying policy does not impact the superior courts decision. 1250, and incorporating student voice into district decision-making. Tel 206-324-0400 . School Board Special Meeting: Ad Hoc Community Engagement Meeting. John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence Hampson, meanwhile, wanted to vote on the anti-racism policy instead of waiting for more community engagement, arguing its already been done. During his tenure on the Seattle School Board, he served on the Council of Great City Schools board of directors and the Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE) steering committee as its vice-chair. But why did it take the Seattle Times months to cover? They were targets because the school board directors are rabid left-wing activists who want to play savior to the citys minority communities. Carlyle's plan would pay board members, starting in the biggest, most complex district in Seattle, a salary in-line with state legislators, which is $42,000 per year. The two district employees, both of whom are women still working for Seattle Schools, alleged an orchestrated campaign of harassment, intimidation, bullying based on race and gender in response to their work on the anti-racism policy, according to the investigation by the MFR Law Group PLLC, a law firm focused on employment law and human resource services in the Pacific Northwest. 68% of the management team is White. Enrollment ('17-'18) 54,573 students. Kirby has served as Board Chair at Special Olympics of Washington, where he helped bring the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games to Seattle. As the inaugural class of student members, students serving during the 2022-23 school year will play an integral role in designing the scope and focus of these positions, advising the board on implementation of newly adopted Board Policy No. The lack of choices and the disrespectful treatment of children and parents by those in power will have to change if officials are going to be accountable, or have any chance of earning back the publics confidence. District 5 - Michelle Sarju. Right now they are relying on the superintendent and staff to provide them with data. Some kids are back at Seattle schools, but 2 homeless camps near Meany Middle and BroadviewThomson Elementary have parents worried. Board of Directors and District Map. In a series of emails, DeWolf and Hampson accused staffers of inaccuracies in district meeting minutes and claimed the district staffers didnt do the work they said they did, the report said. Did you like this opinion piece? 11% of Seattle Public Schools management is Hispanic or Latino. The report further concluded Director Hampson and Director DeWolf violated [the policy] because they intended to and did degrade and humiliate [staffers] in their workplace.. DeWolf did not respond to requests for comment. They couldnt get to this sooner? Seattle School Board chooses new board member, approves plan to return to classrooms . And other directors and witnesses declined their opportunity to speak, too. Education. Its unfortunate that another story like this has surfaced. That meeting was the focus of the investigation and what triggered the accusations against Hampson and DeWolf. Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers claim Jeffrey Epstein's 15-year-old Florida plea deal should undo her sex-trafficking conviction. Currently, Liza Rankin holds the district 1 spot, Lisa Rivera Smith represents district 2, Chandra Hampson represents . She is the Seattle School Board president. MFR submitted the report to Seattle Schools in early August. But they are also fringe partisans who set up their complaint to fail when they claimed concern over the process not being able to weed out implicit bias. Map of the seven director districts. By Chris B. Bennett, The Seattle Medium. Harris is a mother and foster parent who works as a litigation paralegal for Campiche Arnold PLLC. 206-252-0000, Distributing Information to Students and Schools, Northwest Coast Art by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, Squaxin/Skokomish, School Board Student Member Selection Committee, School Board Policy No. The two women who made allegations against Hampson and DeWolf wrote a letter to the board on Sept. 18, 2020 almost a year earlier detailing their experiences, board member Lisa Rivera-Smith said during the meeting. Im sorry. August 3, 2021. All students and the more than 100 full-time faculty members live on the grounds. Subscribe to thepodcast here. Two woke Seattle Public School board directors who claim to be anti-racist progressives were found guilty of harassing, intimidating, and bullying Black staff. They were accused of waging sexist and anti-Black harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) campaigns against two Black female SPS staff. A Seattle school board member has gone to court to fight the outcome of a district investigation that concluded she harassed, intimidated and bullied two Seattle Public Schools employees. Email the Board of Trustees . Since 2013, evolved legal intern program at the Allen Institute into a law school class to teach the practical aspects and soft skills . The School Board Office will reach out to interested students with further information and meeting dates. Student members will serve as experts through their own experiences and as representatives of their peers. Scarlett and Al-ansi, who have escaped media scrutiny, should also be called out. I dont want to rehash our own private conversations.. MJ Bolt is an elected Eastern Washington representative to the Washington State Board of Education. "You will not see me supporting your business and I find it intriguing you think that crime is just in Tacoma, said a Tacoma Councilmember. Two Seattle School Board members violated the board's harassment, intimidation and intimidation policy last year when they worked on an anti-racism policy with two black district employees, an external investigation showed. Two Seattle School Board members violated a board policy against harassing, intimidating and bullying staff members last year when they were working on an anti-racism policy with two Black . Hampson appears easily slighted and is disrespectful to many people. Seattle media deserves to be called out on this. As Scarlett was discussing her desire to ensure the policy is a pro-Black anti-racist policy, she was repeatedly interrupted by DeWolf. She is passionate about high-quality education for all Washington students and for an equitable education system to help fully equip achievers for tomorrow. Both Hampson and DeWolf, according to the complainants, were upset that they lost control over the anti-racism policy to two Black women. Where were they? (One recently-appointed member is not eligible for recall.). Consequently, media coverage has been scant and inadequate. It was clear Hampson had darts for both of them, the witness told MFR investigators. DeWolf did not run for re-election and will suffer no immediate political consequences as a result. 2023 Washington Policy Center All Rights Reserved Terms of Use, Closer look at Superintendent Reykdal's dig at WPC has me missing "Better call Saul", Washington state students to get less classroom time under new Dem-backed plan, Proposed WA bill would cut student's classtime by 4 hours a week, Tutoring bill to help students with school-shutdown learning loss blocked in Senate Ways and Means Committee, Bill reducing WA classroom learning by four hours a week working its way through Senate. Talk with Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors member Leslie Harris, who represents West Seattle and most of South Park, at 2 pm at Delridge Library. An accumulation of these disagreements and misunderstandings, according to the emails, led to a group phone call and meeting on Aug. 28, 2020. District 3 - Chandra N. Hampson. It was public during the September school board hearing. However, DeWolf cut her off before the 10 minutes were up, telling her twice to wrap up her comments, the report said. During a group phone call in August 2020, the situation took a turn for the worse. The Seattle Public Schools board unanimously approved the new district elections map last week. Then Hampson started to berate the staff members and [one of] the complainants with accusations. The witness said that Hampson was lying about some of the allegations made against the complainant. General election date. As a result of the SPS investigation conducted by the MFR Law Group PLLC, Hampson, who was elected in 2019, and board member Zachary DeWolf, who has since left the board because his term expired, were required to review the board policy that prohibited harassment, intimidation and bullying. Multiple school board members say . Their feelings about why or how they were targeted do not replace the need for evidence. I wanted it to get out afterThanksgiving, as stories printed the week before the holiday tend to get lost. Every 10 years, in accordance with the U.S. census count, Seattle Public Schools board members have the task of approving a new district election map. If you feel you are being discriminated against, you need to prove it with the highest level of scrutiny., According to the investigation, both DeWolf and Hampson felt it important to move forward with an investigation so that it was clear they were not being held to a different standard or process than other SPS staff.. Last week, the Seattle School Board approved two measures involving African Americans males by a vote of 5-1, with the lone no vote on each measure cast by senior school board director Leslie Harris. Paralegal. The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH has a staff of one when it comes to reporting and research: Im the one. She repeatedly said she was elected to do this work and appeared upset that her authority and duty were questioned. Hampson and DeWolf later tried to expedite the board vote on the anti-racism policy during an executive committee meeting without the staffers. The number of hours a month may vary, but should not exceed 20 hours. The student school board positions are new positions, created by School Board Policy No. "Members of the Seattle School Board demanded the mayor's office not sweep dangerous and growing homeless encampments on two school properties," Rantz reported Tuesday . Applications for the 2023-24 student member positions will be open Monday, Feb. 27 - March 24. It unnecessarily meddles in the employment practices. Two Seattle School Board members violated a board policy against harassing, intimidating and bullying staff members last year when they were working on an anti-racism policy with two Black district employees, an outside investigation has found. Some board members thought historic redlining maps should have been taken into consideration. The campaign also builds on the Clean Schools Resolution passed by the Seattle School Board in February, which commits the district to being fossil fuel-free by 2040. The Emerald asked the two finalists in the city's tightest school board race, Laura Marie Rivera and Vivian Song Maritz, nine questions collected from community members with a stake in education, and then one of our own.. Once selected, student members will need to obtain written permission to work from their parent or guardian. 1250, School Board Student Members. They found mixed and inconclusive evidence to show the conduct was based on gender. The Jason Rantz Show, 3pm-7pm on KTTH. Better yet: Where are they? Other government bodies, like the City Council, also have to redistrict every decade per the Washington Voting Rights Act, which requires redistricting after each new census count. Hampsons attorneys are seeking to overturn the finding that their client violated the districts harassment, intimidation and bullying policy and say the district has not explained how events that led to the investigation meet the threshold of causing substantial harm to staffers under the policy. This case highlights that particular problem and ultimately can bring affirmation to the board and the superintendent they hire.. According to the investigation, both complainants claimed that HIB investigations are not good enough to uncover implicit bias and anti-Blackness. Follow@JasonRantz onTwitter,Instagram, andParler,and like me onFacebook. 11% of the management team is Black or African American. Juneau spoke with students and parents of students in the district, staff, principals, and the Seattle Council PTSA, and gathered feedback from Latinx and Black community members before making the . The petition is accompanied by a detailed list of news reports, recorded school board votes and official school board resolutions to back up the recall petitions claims. The seven . 1 and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local No. I found out about this a week or so before my vacation, thanks to a listener tip. Board members accused both employees of inaccuracies in the policy. 'Time for an intervention:' Seattle School Board member resigns, cites 'dysfunctional culture Jan 07, 2021 at 7:22 pm Geary won in the general election on November 3, 2015. Come celebrate Anacortes 11th annual Bier on the Pier! They inexplicably chose not to embed the actual investigation, nor did they examine who made the complaints. School board members Lisa . 1st Grade Class Rep - Lauren McAlister. But attorneys representing SPS are arguing a thorough investigation was conducted, and that the outcome is supported by 20 witness interviews and thousands of documents. Is there a reason you telling me this? The two staffers sent the board a memorandum in September 2020 that said Hampson and DeWolf orchestrated a campaign of bullying, escalating intimidation, gaslighting, and retaliation, according to court documents. The Stranger, normally interested in amplifying claims of racism, offered the bare minimum in covering the story, only to link to the Seattle Times. Seattle Public Schools hired MFR Law Group PLLC (MFR) to conduct an extensive investigation into school board directors Chandra Hampson and Zachary DeWolf. The Seattle school board voted unanimously Wednesday to fire Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson over a $1.8 million financial scandal involving a district business development program. Committees meet monthly.
Long Term Static Caravan To Rent In Worcester, Anairis Clemente Death, Dusty Blue Wedding Centerpieces, Generation Zero Crafting Schematics Map, Long Beach Naval Shipyard Employees Forum, Articles S